Deadlier than fentanyl: Law enforcement monitoring opioid Nitazine

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- A drug deadlier than fentanyl is making its way through the state.

Law enforcement hasn't found the potent opioid in Central California yet, but they're preparing for when they do.

In the opioid crisis, we often speak about the fight against fentanyl, but a deadlier drug has entered the mix.

Nitazine, or ISO, is an opioid developed in the 1950s around the same time as fentanyl, but it was deemed too dangerous for medical use.

More than 50 years later, Narcotics Specialist Bob Pennal says the formula is being used by illegal drug producers and making its way around the states.

"The most popular is isotonydasine, metatonitaine, basically it's a synthetic opiate, exactly like fentanyl," said Bob Pennal, retired, CA DOJ Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement. "It's just more powerful."

The drug is more resistant to the opioid overdose reversal drug, naloxone.

"So if you can imagine, when you had a fentanyl overdose, you would take the reversal drug Naloxone, and you'd have to take a couple of those," said Pennal.

"Well, this is so powerful you may have to take four dosages of naloxone."

Although the deadly opioid hasn't been seized here in the Central Valley, yet, local law enforcement wants to be sure they're prepared when responding to overdoses.

The Fresno County Sheriff's Office said they're already using multiple doses of naloxone to save people from fentanyl overdoses, but with a stronger opioid on the way they're looking at carrying higher doses of the lifesaving drug.

"Right now we have a 4 mg nasal spray that we use on people, this product Kloxxado is 8mg so twice as much in one canister," said Tony Botti with Fresno County Sheriff's Office.

"So if you're carrying around 16 instead of 8, then if you come across someone who's in really bad shape, obviously, your chances of saving them go up significantly."

Because Nitazine is so powerful, Botti says the window where naloxone can save someone's life is smaller.

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